Although Ernesto used to work with agro chemicals, organic farming was always close to his heart. Ernesto “We were brought up with organic growing, although we did not call it that. My mother and my wife have always maintained a garden, where we never used any chemicals. I regret to admit that there was a short time when we used some chemicals in our orchards in Centenario, when I was a salesperson for Bayer. However, the products, which we were told to sell did not deliver the promised results and so we eventually returned to our traditional way of growing”.

Organic farmers like Bartusch are prohibited from using of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) in fruit production. This helps maintain populations of native species of plants and animals while encouraging the use of a more diverse range of plants and animals in organic agriculture.

Furthermore, while organic farming regulation does not specify what practices should be used to contribute to the management and maintenance of the natural environment, voluntary practices followed by growers such as Ernesto are having a positive follow-on effect in doing so. Of course all agricultural activity invariably involves modification of the natural environment; however, organic farming attempts to reduce this as much as possible, so that organic farms essentially blend into the surrounding landscape. A number of organic farming practices help improve and maintain rural landscapes, and include establishing or maintaining:
• Hedges
• Meadows
• Native flora and fauna
• Natural waterways